Chapter 15

The sky was worse today, the sky was filled with
lightning and thunder echoed across the forest. Rain pelted down upon the Elven
village. Military practice was called off today and everyone was told to remain
indoors to avoid the rain. Damion was still sleeping oblivious to the weather
outside. Enelya sat at her window looking out to the sky, worry harboured
within her eyes as if she knew something everyone else didn’t. She looked down
and saw Idril patrolling the streets almost like she was looking for something.

“Are you looking for…well…him?” she asked trying to
avoid their name. Idril looked around quickly to make sure no one was
listening.

“Yeah I am, I’m sure their causing this now” she
looked around once more. “We need to make sure Damion is ok Enelya, it’s
important”

“I can do that” Enelya replied.

“Good, go and check on him and if it is…him then he
might not be safe here”

“What do you mean not safe? He said something like
that yesterday. Do you know something I don’t?” Idril sighed and gave up the
information.

“I heard that a group of vampires are after him, we
need to keep him safe if what I believe is true”

“What is true?” she asked trying to understand.

“Look up” Enelya did so. “See that, the lightning is
only above our village” Enelya still didn’t understand what she meant.

“So?”

“I think it’s like a homing beacon for the vampires,
now quickly go check on him”.

“Yes Mam” she replied saluting.

Idril carried on searching the town.

Enelya had gathered her armour, bow and quiver and
began to run down the street towards Damion’s shack. She passed Idril who was
looking through everyone’s window searching still. Enelya reached his Shack and
ran inside quickly. Damion still lay motionless, the only movements coming from
his breathing. Enelya shook Damion until he began to groan.

“What do you want, is it time for training?” he said
without opening his eyes.

“No, but you may be in danger, we need you awake ready
to leave just in case”

“Wait danger?!” he yelped. “I told you it wasn’t safe
here!” he stood ready to leave but was eventually pulled back down by Enelya.

“Calm yourself for god sake Damion, didn’t your mother
ever teach you never to act before you understand the situation?” she looked at
him and sadness became apparent on her face. “She used to tell me, If you keep
acting up so quickly the Trydans will come take you away” she laughed to
herself, it was a creature my mother made up in her stories she told me.

“Trydans?” he thought to himself, his head became
painful and the feeling of electric began to course through his veins.“Argh god not again” he held his head in pain
and collapsed.

A younger
Damion lay in bed fidgeting and giggling away at his mother who was tickling
him. Damion laughed and finally calmed.

“Mummy, can
you tell me one of your stories, please. Just one ickle one”

“Ok ok, just
one” Damion settle down and listen carefully.

“There was
once a group of people called the Trydans and lived in harmony with the humans.
One day a star fell from the sky onto the village, the trydans wanted to keep
it for their own and so did the humans. One day the leader of the trydans
challenged the town leader to a duel and however won got to keep the star. He
accepted. The met up the day later the human leader was ready for battle but
the trydan had not specified the duel. He wanted to race so no one would get hurt;
the human leader did not accept and began to attack the trydan. He injured but
did not kill; the humans were outraged by their leaderand promised the trydans
the star. The trydan said however, that they can keep the star if they can have
the town leader to teach him a lesson for acting up. The town agreed and let
them have him. He was not killed but tortured”

“Wow, are the
trydans real mummy?” Damion asked.

“Well if you
act up to much they’ll take you away, and we don’t want that do we?” Damion
giggled.

“No” his
mother smiled

“That’s what
I thought, goodnight” Damion rolled over and fell fast asleep.

Damion awoke with his vision blurred. He could make
out Enelya shaking him.

“Oh god Damion, I thought you were done for this time”

“Enelya, what happened to your mother?” Enelya began
to look nervous.

“Oh well she left, with a traveller a few years back”
Damion sat up quickly and became light headed but was too focused on his
questioning to care.

“Who was this traveller?” he asked nearly falling
backwards.

“Oh I don’t know his name, but he stayed with us for
about a week and said he was visiting his parents in Domine. We told him that
he could not travel this was due to the portal being the only way up the cliff”
Damion’s eyes widened hugely. “My mother called her Miron and flew him up, but
she never returned”

“Oh god Enelya, I think my mother was your mother?!”

“Wait where are you from?”

“I’m from Domine, I’m sure my mother is yours, she
used to hum that melody you do, she used to talks about trydans and all sorts”
Damion prattled on quickly without breathing.

“So, you’re like…my step brother?” Damion smiled,

“Well I suppose that’s right” Damion hugged her and
she hugged him. “Ok now Enelya, you have to listen to me because I can only say
this once. The girl that was taken away has put a seal on me, it stops me form
becoming a werewolf at night and I’m stuck with this seal until I find her. I’m
gathering she is still alive because the past few nights I have not changed”
Enelya smiled at him seeming unfazed.

“You’re a good guy Damion, I don’t care if you’re a
werewolf, I still love you as my brother but I do fear for your life so we go
anywhere I’m going with you…understood?”

“Understood” Damion looked around the small shack
seeming lost of what to do next. “Well what do we do now?”

“We wait until Idril gives the all clear”

Idril stumbled through the town. The rain had left the
ground wet and hard to walk through. She looked through another window. The
family was huddled around a small fire trying to keep warn and shield it from
the wind.

“Damn it, I’m sure someone is causing this” she
stopped and looked up to the sky recalling a memory.

“Just you
wait” Gurtin angrily stormed off throwing his armour and sword to the ground.

“No, it couldn’t be?!” Idril rushed up the street as
fast as she could and stormed into Gurtins house. It was empty and only a small
fire lit the room flailing in the wind. “Damn!” Idril shouted and rushed over
to Damion’s shack. She rushed in without hesitation.

“Idril what’s wrong?”

“No time, you two come with me now!” They both stood
quickly and followed her outside. “Follow me quickly” she shouted beckoning
them to follow her. The all ran up through the town up to the training grounds,
the wet dirt made it impossible to manoeuvre quickly. The sky roared at them
and lightning began to violently pummel the ground with rage. Dirt splattered
across them and the water coursed with electricity. “Ok I’m sure this is the
work of a vampire”

“It is!” Damion yelled, “I encounter power like this
in Alexandranite”

“A vampire?” Idril questioned.

“Yes, a powerful one too”

“Damn its happening, I heard rumours but it must be
true now” Idril muttered to herself.

“Rumours? What’s happening?” Idril stopped and placed
both of her hand son Damion, lightening crashed right beside them ripping the
ground out easily.

“Listen to me Damion, I’m sure we will meet in the
future, I cannot tell you what is happening but it is happening all around us”
she looked over her shoulder to make sure they were still safe from anyone. “It
may not happen this year or next year or even in ten years, but it’s going to
happen” Damion understood but at the same didn’t understand what was happening.

“Ok Idril, now let’s get me and Enelya out of here”
Idril looked to Enelya and back to Damion and nodded at both of them.

“Oh crap Idril look!” Enelya shouted in terror. Idril
turned to see a group of 15 to 20 hooded people coming out of the forest.

“We’re too late!” Idril shouted, “Run!” they all
turned and began to run in the other direction, the ground still made it
impossible and hindered there speed. The hooded figures began to attack, and
chased them throwing all they could at them. A ball of fire launched past and
tore the ground up right in front of them but failed to stop their retreat.
Suddenly a group of six landed in front of them, the water from the ground
rippled and splashed upwards freezing into spikes coming out of the ground. Escape
looked impossible, but Idril suddenly thought of a plan.

“Squadron!” she bellowed out as loudly as she could,
“Code V-6 to battle!” the hooded group continued the attack. Damion was lifted
from and unknown force and thrown backwards closer to the other group. Damion
sat up extremely slowly, the suction from the mud held him down. He looked
behind him and only just dodged a right hook from one of the hooded figures. He
pulled him over his shoulder and stabbed his sword into his heart killing him
in a second. He stood and watched as they were becoming surrounded by hooded
people. It was over; they could not escape without force. Damion, Enelya and
Idril backed into the centre, they looked on each side. The group had grown on
each. In front to the forest stood now around thirty and behind stood another
twenty seven. Idril covered Damion and Enelya as much as she could.

“Damion, this is what is happen!”

“What’s happening Idril I don’t understand!” Damion
cried out.

“War!” a male voice boomed over the lightning and
stopped it in its track. The sky became silent. They all looked as a single
person emerged from the crowd. “This…is…war” Damion looked confused and
couldn’t understand.

“So why are you here!” yelled Idril. The man chuckled.

“To remove all threats to our cause”

“Us Elves are no threat to you and you know that!” he
laughed loudly echoed the sky with the sound of evil.

“You really think we are here for your pathetic race?!
You foolish girl. No, we are here, for the boy”

“What? How am I more of a threat than this whole
race?”

“Because I know what you are!” he shouted immediately,
“And I know what you can do Damion” Damion’s fear diminished and was being
replaced with anger.

“If we’re here, you may not be a threat to us but, we
may as well take you out whilst we are here, wouldn’t you agree?” Enelya backed
down and hid behind Damion. “And since you are all about to die I may as well
tell you, my name is Druiga! Now, accept your fate and die!”

“Initiate Code V-6 now!” Idril yelled. The group all
looke around expecting an opposing group but saw none. They all burst out with
laughter.

“Idril they didn’t come” Enelya said.

“Wait for it” a loud roar echoed as form behind the
hooded figure near the town a group of fully armour elves sprung out from under
the mud. They had placed thierselves when they were not looking. The hooded
group waited for their attack but missed were too distracted to notice the
arrows come hurtling from the sky. “Get down!” yelled Idril. They all ducked
down in an attempt to avoid being hit theirselves. The hooded group was hit by
the flurry of arrows and many were knocked down and even more were dead.

“Attack!” roared the Eleven group, they charged up the
field to and began to attack the group nearest the village making easy work of
them. The stood around Idril and the others weapons unsheathed and ready for
battle.

“Destroy this pathetic race” Druiga said calmly. The
group however cheered out loudly and ran towards the elves hurtling lightning
to the floor, fireballs tore the ground around them up, the water around them
froze, and Elves were thrown like they were merely feathers from a miron around
the field. The group was being divided; they could not fight back or get close
to them. Damion grew with anger, it began to flow over and rage coursed through
his veins.

“This is all my fault. This is all because of me, this
death of your people, the damn suffering!”

“No Damion, it was bound to happen” Idril said trying
to calm him.

“No, it’s my fault! It’s mine!” Damion unsheathed his
sword and was steady as a rock. “I will end this crap!” Damion yelled
furiously.

“No Damion stop it now!” Idril held on to him but was
thrown backwards and narrowly missed a thick shard of ice. However her amour
was caught by it and impaled it trapping her. Damion dugs his feet in a rushed
forwards dirt and water jumped in to the air on his each and every step. A bolt
of lightning rushed down, he dodged it with ease and still approached the
group. The floor in front of him rose up creating a wall; however Damion
slashed his sword through it cutting it like butter and ran through it.

“Grrrr, kill him now!” yelled Druiga. A hooded figure
rushed forwards at superhuman speed and stabbed a dagger into his arm. However
still unfazed Damion reached behind him stopping the figure in his tracks and
threw him upwards spinning, ripped the dagger out of his arm and thrust it into
the hooded man’s heart. He fell to the ground dead and Damion continue his
assault.

“Kill him right now!” Druiga furiously blurted out,
his face red with rage and hatred. A final figure rushed forwards and picked
Damion up and threw him towards the hooded group. But the rage within Damion
caused him to be unsurprised by this attempt and landed his feet upon a hooded
figure and launched himself back at the person who and thrown him. He readied
his sword and tore it through the stomach of the person ripping him in half. He
landed on his feet and turned to the hooded group. Blood covered his face and
sword and anger raged through him like he was a wild savage beast.

“Get the hell out of here before I tear you all limb
from limb!” he shouted, however his voice did not sound his own. I rough voice
could be heard under his normal one as if the beast within him and joined with
his human body. Druiga watched as his group was still approaching, Damion
gripped the handle of his sword harder. Druiga admitted defeat this time to
himself.

“Retreat!” he yelled out and darted off into the forest.
The Elven tribe began to cheer and Enelya rushed up to Damion who was still
boiling with rage.

“Damion that was amazing” she hugged him tight. She
let go and approached Idril and pulled her from the ice shard.

“But if you wasn’t the one who caused this then who?”
Damion thought back to his few days at the village.

“I know who it is” they all looked to Damion and
muttered in surprise.

“Who?” they all asked at the same time.

“I’m sure it’s Atela” they gasped and looked around,
the whole village had come out yet she was nowhere to be seen.

“Damion I think your right” replied Gurtin. The sound
of squelching came from behind the group of elves as if someone was walking.
The group opened up to show Atela trying to escape.

“Leave her to me” Damion said, his undervoice roaring
with anger. Damion began to take after her. Idril and Enelya looked around,
there group had become half what it was. All around many lay bleeding and
injured, but even more lay dead and still. Idril spared a tear but regained her
leadership skill quickly.

“Ok medics, get those alive inside now to avoid
infection and the rest of you help carry the injured to your houses”

“But what about the dead” Enelya asked holding onto
Idril’s arm. Idril looked and once again spared another tear.

“We will gather them and bury them tomorrow” Enelya
nodded and agreed with her. “Ok all hurry up get to work! That includes you
Enelya get going!”

“Yes Mam” she saluted.

Damion gained on Aleta and was doing so quickly. She
was getting caught in the wetted dirt and could not keep up her energy.

“Come here you traitor!” Damion yelled. She looked
back crying and tears running form her face.

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry” she screamed through her
shallow breaths. “Please don’t hurt me!”

“Oh don’t hurt you? How about the Elves you got killed
you pathetic girl!” She turned to see Damion finally right behind her. He
slapped her knocking her to the ground.

“No please stop!” she looked up at him. Damion swung
his foot into her face with great force.

“You don’t deserve mercy!” she looked up again her
face bleeding; her tears clung to the dirt on her face. Again he launched his
foot into her face knocking her down. Her breaths became heavy and struggled.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you!” he
yelled at her. She did not reply but instead just cried and hugged his leg
begging for mercy. He kicked her off into the dirt once more. “Answer me!” she
ceased to cry and climbed to her feet with great difficulty, she was unsteady.

“Your race is pathetic and violent, no wonder you are
dying out” she said angrily and spat in his face. Her wiped the white mass from
his face and looked at her with fierce eyes.

“Wrong answer” he said deeply. He thrust his sword
into her stomach and twisted listening to the squelch of her organs. He pulled
it out and watched her fall to her knees. “I’m not done” Aleta looked up
confused.

“What?” she answered. His sword lashed across her face
tearing her left cheek open. She screamed in pain and held her face. Blood
covered her hands and dropped to the floor. He kicked her to the floor.

“Feel the pain that your village has felt because of
you!” he slashed his sword across her chest ripping it open. Her breaths became
choked. “Now, die” He stabbed his sword through her heart and out the other
side penetrating the ground. She choked once more but her breaths out were
replaced with a flow of blood. He looked down to her and tore the sword out;
blood sprung up from her and stained his clothes.

Damion:

Something
clicked in me that day, I became tougher and stronger. This would not be the
first time it happens however. But I saw my mother; I have a mother still and
even a step-sister! The days ahead would still be tough, but when isn’t it.

The day had been a victory for the elves, the
celebrated their victory. Many were down at the tavern drink all the Drudil
they wanted. They play music outside; beautiful elven melodies filled the air.
All was happy, yet Damion lay indoors, the day had been too much for him to
cope. He lay there motionless. They night came and the village was silent.
Damion slept soundly, no dream, no visitations. All was still.

The sound of Mirons boomed across the sky. It was
clear today and not a cloud in the sky. The sun shone bright and the heat dried
the ground yet left it uneven and rough. It was awkward to walk on and many
stumbled around the village. The sound of the Mirons awoke Damion, he stumbled
slowly out of his shack just to be blinded by the morning sun. He used his hand
as a shield from the sun to look up at the Mirons crossing over. It was said
Mirons will always pass over a battlefield, when the battle was done. Damion
looked and seemed to believe it. Enelya caught Damion and began to close in on
him.

“Listen, we’re digging the grave for our friends”
Damion looked at her now catching his interest. “You don’t have to help if you
find it too hard” Damion shook his head in disagreement.

“I’m fine, I got you all in this mess, it’s only fair
I help” he started to walk away put was pulled back.

“Listen Damion!” Enelya said sternly, “Stop blaming
yourself, the rumours of war have been hovering for months, it would have
happened sooner or later”

“Yes but I’m decreasing the time you have left!”
Enelya backed off and looked down upset. “I know it’s not all my fault but I’m
causing it to start, if I don’t die it could all begin!” he shouted yet not angrily.
“They obviously know I’m a threat now, even more than before now. I didn’t even
know I could do that” he sighed “Enelya I’m going to join this war” Enelya
gasped and looked at him worried. “I’m part of it now and I to play my part”
Enelya’s face became an expression of proudness.

“Ok then, you will have to run it by Idril but, if it’s
what you want to do then, I’m not going to stop you” Damion did not reply to
her. “You are on about joining us…aren’t you?” Enelya asked. Damion still did
not give her a response and fell blank. Enelya looked away from him feeling
like she had done something wrong.

“Where is Idril?” he muttered. Enelya did not look at
him as his tone of voice was not a happy one.

“The training field” Damion walked past her brushing
up against her softly. “I’m coming with you though”

“No you’re not, I’m doing this alone and that’s final”
he raised his hand to gesture a goodbye.

“Oh Damion, I just get a brother and you won’t even
let me help you”

Damion wandered onto the training field, it was
destroyed and in no condition for them to train on. Idril was assisting the
others by digging the graves up. To the side lay a large cover pin to the
ground. The bodies lay decaying underneath it.

“Idril, I need a moment of your time” Damion spoke out
rightly. Idril looked up to him and climbed out of the hole she was digging.

“Ok what’s up?” Damion paused for a moment to decide
if this was what he really wanted to do.

“Idril, where does the hooded group reside?” Idril
shook her head and placed her hands on her hips.

“Look Damion I know what you’re trying to do but…”

“No buts Idril” she was interrupted. “Now listen to me,
this war will accelerate if I’m alive and it’s known. Whichever way this ends
for me will be bring good causes”

“Oh really?” she replied sarcastically. “So how do you
figure that out?”

“”It’s simple, I break in kill all of them and save
Rose. Your land will be safe. I die trying and the war we calm down once again
as there is no threat” Idril loosened and saw the truth in his theory.

“That is true, but wait…Rose?” she asked.

“Yes, Rose” he stopped and took a breath. “She was
kidnapped by them I remember their clothes, I’m sure she is with them” Damion
began to well up, “I love your Idril, now I will either take your directions
there, or I will wander the forest mindlessly searching, which will it be?” Idril
shook her head once more.

“Well I don’t have much of a choice do I?” she said
jokingly. “About 12 hours west you’ll come to the Wall of Ralis. We heard
rumour the king there was overthrown and assonated by a group of hooded men. We
found out today that, it is true. They have taken over the whole town and the
fort” Damion began to look disheartened. “You will not be able to it alone
Damion…but?” A speck of hope shone in his eyes.

“But?”

“But, if you insist on going then I think it’s time to
start this war” Damion did not looked convinced of the idea. “Give me today to
finish this and tomorrow we will plan, ok?”

“Ok, but I want to help somehow”

“Well the best way you can help is grab a shovel and
start digging”

“Yes Mam” he saluted. She smiled and laughed at him,
as she stopped she continued to dig the hole outwards. The hole was big
already, yet the size needed to increase to fit the bodies left from the night
before.

Author's Note

My Review

Reviews

A powerful chapter. A lot of action and events in this chapter. I like the battle scene. You are making each scene come alive with strong description and story. Thank you for the excellent poem.
Coyote

Author

Gloucestershire, Stroud, United Kingdom

About

My real name is John-Paul Crawford, I do voluntary work at Stroud FM and hopefully after my training will be allowed my own slot on air. Writing takes up most of my time, I'm always trying to better m.. more..